This is what the new Fincantieri S800 submarine will look like
After the start of the experience for the future U212 NFS underwater boats destined for our Navy, Fincantieri presented its new submarine at the Idex show in Abu Dhabi. The deepening of Giovanni Martinelli
The one presented by Fincantieri on the occasion of the recent exhibition in the defense field held in the United Arab Emirates (namely the IDEX , with its specific appendix dedicated to the naval sector and known as NAVDEX) was an important novelty in its own way; for at least a couple of reasons.
Firstly, because a new proposal is already in itself a sign of vitality as well as attention to the sector (in strong expansion) to which it is addressed. Secondly, because with it the Italian shipbuilding group demonstrates its desire to play a more important role precisely where (for various reasons) it had not yet done so.
In fact, if Fincantieri itself is already today a "player" of absolute importance at an international level in the sector of surface naval units, the same cannot be said for underwater ones. Because, and here is the content of the novelty finally revealed, this is what we are talking about; or a new submarine.
And so, after the start of the experience for the future U212 NFS underwater boats destined for our Navy, characterized precisely by their strong national "signature", now comes the S800. Yes, this is a new product, even if it ends up surely drawing a large part of its definition and design work from previous experiences.
In particular, from the current U212 (today in service in the Navy, the result of the initial collaboration relationship with the German industry) as well as from the same U212 NFS just mentioned, whose development work is proceeding to the point of being able to already supply “feedback” for other achievements. But probably some support also came from another project with particular characteristics, namely the S1000 developed in the early 2000s in collaboration with the Rubin Central Design Bureau; that is, one of the leading Russian design centers for submarines.
Evidently, it was another "age"; destined (in fact) to end as early as 2014 as a result of the first crisis in Ukraine, marked by the Russian occupation of Crimea. However, that now "defunct" submarine model still appears today in the Fincantieri "catalogue" and some of its conceptual features appear to have been borrowed in some way in this new S800.
In particular the relatively small dimensions, which in the case of this new proposal are even more contained; thus giving life to a platform with particular qualities. In practice, a "light" submarine which, by virtue of this element (that is, precisely contained dimensions and therefore lower complexity and costs but also specific operational characteristics) widens the range of potential interested parties.
Because such a boat can be attractive for those Marinas of modest size (and financial resources) but with the will/need to still have their own underwater component. Just as it can also be interesting for more "important" Navies, already equipped with larger submarines but in turn dealing with particular operational requirements. The S800 is in fact the classic platform designed to operate in coastal or shallow waters and for possible support to operations with Special Forces.
It is no coincidence that among the first potential customers identified are the countries of the Persian Gulf and Pakistan, which has its own tradition of using platforms with similar characteristics. However, given the real "submarine race" that is taking place in almost every region of the world, it is evident that in the end the possibilities in terms of potential exports expand even more.
Coming to the technical characteristics, already the general configuration (and in particular that of the governing and control bodies of the platform) clearly betrays the desire to give the S800 high maneuverability in shallow waters. As for the dimensions, this boat has a length of 51 meters and a maximum width of 4.8; the displacement is equal to 750 tons on the surface, which become 850 when submerged. The operating depth is fixed at 250 meters.
The configuration of the propulsion system is also significant; with a classic diesel-electric scheme consisting of a diesel generator which feeds 2 battery packs (probably of the more advanced type with lithium ions), which in turn drive an electric propulsion motor. An AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system is then inserted into this scheme, with 2 fuel cell modules that can replace the batteries in the power supply of the electric motor; an aspect that not only guarantees a substantial increase in autonomy but also a greater "discretion" in terms of silence of the boat (a particularly useful aspect precisely in supporting operations of the Special Forces; but not only).
The result is an interesting picture in terms of performance, with a maximum underwater speed of more than 15 knots but, above all, with a maximum range of over 4,000 miles (which in any case drops to around 700, operating continuously underwater at a speed of around 4 knots ). The operating autonomy in normal conditions is 7 days but can be extended up to a maximum of 30.
At the platform level, there is a high level of automation, such as to allow a crew of only 18 men to manage/operate the submarine; additional space is also foreseen to embark a team of 8 men of the Special Forces. The same combat system then has a very advanced configuration; with a complete set of sensors (obviously, especially in terms of sonar but also of periscopes and radars) and devices of various kinds (in particular, for electronic warfare); as well as in terms of armament. On the S800 there are in fact 5 torpedo tubes for as many heavy ordnance (most likely, Leonardo's Black Shark Advanced); in reserve there are another 4 torpedoes, plus another that can be loaded under special conditions. It is possible that anti-ship/"land attack" missiles can also be launched from these tubes.
A final element, however particularly interesting, is represented by the anticipation provided by Fincantieri itself regarding the fact that the times for the construction of the S800 have already been formulated; that is, 4 years. Considering that on average, the construction of a larger underwater boat can require much longer times, this aspect too (ie a relative greater speed in terms of construction), can represent an attractive element compared to the S800 itself.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/ecco-come-sara-il-nuovo-sottomarino-di-fincantieri-s800/ on Sun, 26 Feb 2023 08:29:48 +0000.